More than a year after Ottawa's corporate labour watchdog position became vacant, dozens of complaints alleging labour exploitation and human rights abuses by Canadian companies operating overseas remain unresolved.Federal documents tabled in the House of Commons show 22 active complaints are awaiting review by the Canadian Ombudsman for Responsible Enterprise, a position that has been vacant since May 21, 2025."A decision regarding the future of the Ombudsman for Responsible Enterprise and the position of the Ombudsman will be taken in due course," the government said in a written response to Parliament.The backlog includes complaints involving 10 garment manufacturers, 10 mining companies and two oil and gas operators. Fifteen of the 22 cases concern operations in Asia and Africa.According to the government response, only five complaints had advanced to the investigative phase when the figures were compiled.The disclosure came in response to questions from Conservative MP Arnold Viersen, who asked how many complaints and investigations remained open when the ombudsman position became vacant.Viersen has also criticized the federal government for failing to publish annual reports from the office since 2022."We are discussing annual reports addressing potential situations of exploitation, forced labour and modern slavery being committed by Canadian companies operating in other countries," Viersen told the House on April 29."I am sure every member of this House would agree we need to have access to these annual reports the Minister is obligated to table in the House of Commons and has failed to do so for three years.".The federal government created the ombudsman position in 2018 following years of pressure from advocacy groups seeking greater accountability for Canadian companies operating abroad.The office was intended to investigate allegations involving human rights abuses, forced labour and other unethical business practices linked to Canadian corporations.The most recent ombudsman, former Canadian ambassador Masud Husain, left the position in 2025. The role carried an annual salary of $259,000.His predecessor, Sheri Meyerhoffer, a former executive with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, was appointed as the office's first ombudsman."We realize how important it is to get this right," Meyerhoffer told a Commons foreign affairs subcommittee in 2021.Despite its mandate, the office never publicly censured a company for misconduct.The position was originally created in the aftermath of the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, where 1,138 garment workers were killed when a factory building collapsed.Access to Information records later revealed Canadian federal agencies had sourced employee uniforms and apparel from factories in Bangladesh."We are eager to begin our investigative work," Meyerhoffer said when the office was launched. At the time, the ombudsman's office employed 10 staff members.Before the ombudsman position was established, the former Conservative government appointed a Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor to examine similar complaints involving Canadian companies abroad.That office was discontinued after the final counsellor, Queen's University professor Jeffrey Davidson, completed his term in 2018.
